The Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 (or MUSYA) (
Public Law
Public law is the part of law that governs relations and affairs between legal persons and a government, between different institutions within a state, between different branches of governments, as well as relationships between persons that ...
86-517) is a
federal law passed by the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
on June 12, 1960. This law authorizes and directs the
Secretary of Agriculture
The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments
The department includes several organiz ...
to develop and administer the renewable resources of timber, range, water, recreation and wildlife on the national forests for multiple use and sustained yield of the products and services.
This is the first law to have the five major uses of national forests contained in one law equally, with no use greater than any other.
By the 1950s, the national forests no longer held enough resources to meet the growing needs of an increasing population and expanding economy. The
U.S. Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
had operated within broad authorities since
Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot (August 11, 1865October 4, 1946) was an American forester and politician. He served as the fourth chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry, as the first head of the United States Forest Service, and as the 28th governor of Pennsyl ...
's time as Chief Forester. Now, for the first time the agency had a specific congressional directive which stipulated that timber sales were not in all cases to be the limiting factor.
MUSYA defines the terms "multiple use" and "sustained yield" as follows:
* ''Multiple use'' - the "management of all the various renewable surface resources of the national forests so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet the needs of the American people ...."
* ''Sustained yield'' - "the achievement and maintenance in perpetuity of a high-level annual or regular periodic output of the various renewable resources of the national forests without impairment of the productivity of the land."
The 1960 law was amended by the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996.
References
External links
The Fully Managed, Multiple-Use Forest Era, 1960-1970Gerald Williams, Forest Service Historian
1960 in the environment
United States federal environmental legislation
Forestry in the United States
Forest law
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